Lawyers in Illinois took a big bite out of the state’s hunger problem by surpassing a goal to raise one million meals during a two-week food and fundraising drive from February 18-March 1.

Lawyers Feeding Illinois, an initiative of the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA), has raised $211,303, enough for 1,056,515 meals, and the dollars and non-perishable food supplies are still flowing in, according to ISBA President John E. Thies, of Urbana.

“This effort, supported by hundreds of lawyers, will significantly impact the lives of an estimated 1.9 million Illinoisans who are considered food insecure,” said Thies, who created the initiative as part of his presidency. Lawyers Feeding Illinois is supported by Feeding Illinois and the Office of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Thies’ wife Terry chaired the campaign.

The effort was also supported by Illinois judges, who placed collection containers for non-perishable food items in courthouses in Bloomington, Danville, Dixon, Edwardsville, Galesburg, Joliet, Kankakee, Mt. Vernon, Ottawa, Peoria, Quincy, Rockford, Rock Island, Urbana, and Wheaton. Additional support for the project came from Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund and the ISBA Mutual Insurance Company. Numerous local, ethnic and special bar associations also participated.

The 32,000-member ISBA (isba.org), with offices in Springfield and Chicago, provides professional services to Illinois lawyers, and education and services to the public through a website (illinoislawyerfinder.com), a cable television program (“Illinois Law”), consumer brochures, and distribution of legal information.